Your Nightly Scripture

Evening Scripture Ephesians 3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles — Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Evening Reflection What is your first response when you start feeling weary in your circumstances? Maybe you reach for some chocolate? Grab a glass of wine? Curl up for a movie marathon? Or just have a good cry? All of those things are helpful, and sometimes a necessary part of resting, processing, and recovering, but those things alone won’t supply your soul with the strength that it needs to endure. Weariness requires supernatural intervention for us to stand up with strength when, by every other measure, we should be crumbling under the weight of our circumstances. Paul, the writer of Ephesians, offers us some instruction and encouragement for our weary hearts. When he writes these words, he is imprisoned in Rome because of his mission, which was to preach the gospel. He understood weariness but still found a way to offer words of encouragement to the emerging church. First, Paul reminds himself and his readers of the grace he received when he met Jesus. Paul realizes that every present suffering is temporary and worthwhile if it leads us closer to Jesus. This perspective protected his heart from bitterness and resentment when life grew hard and the mission God gave him became dangerous. Sometimes forcing ourselves to give thanks for our salvation is the first step we need to take to find encouragement in our circumstances. Next, Paul says he kneels before the Father in prayer. Prayer is so powerful! It changes things. Most importantly, prayer changes our hearts. In our darkest moments, prayer reminds us that we are not alone. That God loves us and is walking with us through life's valleys. God responds to our faith, and our faith is activated when we come before the Father in prayer. Finally, Paul boldly declares that God is able! He says God is able to do immeasurably more than we could think, ask, or even imagine. His declaration stirs up his faith and the faith of his readers. Even though circumstances may look bleak, we must always remember that God is able. His power is at work in us. Our strength for our weary moments is found in the Lord. He is able and will carry us through when we surrender our stories to Him for his glory. Evening Prayer Father, I offer you my weary heart. I am tired and weak, but I am reminded that you are able! I give thanks for the gift of your salvation. For your presence that never leaves me. No matter how difficult my circumstances feel, I can still give thanks for you! I bring you my circumstances. I ask that you provide me with the wisdom I need to move forward. Please renew my strength and return to me the joy of my salvation. Do what only you can do! I know you are able. Change my heart, bring breakthrough, and help me to cling to hope in this moment of exhaustion. Amen. Want More? Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture. UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Evening Scripture Psalm, Chapter 145 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made. All your works praise you, Lord; your faithful people extol you. They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might, so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. Evening Reflection Resting in God’s faithfulness is not passive. It begins with choosing to praise Him — not just today or tomorrow, but continually throughout our days and beyond. Notice how this Psalm begins. Notice also that we praise God not only for our wellbeing, but for future generations, too. Just as generations before remind us of God’s faithfulness, we add our testimony to theirs. Think of hymns about God’s faithfulness — songs written hundreds of years ago that still bring peace to your soul. Psalm 145 then reminds us how God is faithful. He is faithful in His character, His actions, and His care for us. Psalm 145 gives us reasons to trust in God’s unchanging nature through every changing season. David does not limit praise to easy or glorious days. “Every day” includes seasons of joy and disappointment, abundance and loss. We can breathe freely because God’s faithfulness does not rise and fall with our circumstances. In every season, God remains the same — gracious, compassionate, patient, loving, good, and righteous. Rest comes from knowing the steadfastness of the One who holds our lives, even when we do not understand the life He has allowed. Rest comes from holding onto His faithful promises to hold us up when we fall and support us when we are weighed down. Rest comes from trusting His provision at the right time and not always at the time we choose. Tonight, let praise bring you to a place of rest. Remember that God is faithful. Let the last words on your lips tonight anchor you in the faithfulness of God. Evening Prayer Lord God, I praise You because You are great and most worthy of praise. Your faithfulness reaches through every generation to me tonight. Help me rest in who You are — gracious, compassionate, and rich in love. You are good to me. You uphold me when I fall and give me strength when I can’t go on. Forgive me for the times I measure Your faithfulness by my circumstances or forget Your goodness when life feels uncertain. Teach me to praise You every day, not only when life is easy, but when I am waiting, grieving, tired, or unsure. Thank You that I do not have to hold myself together tonight, for You hold me. You know what I need and You provide at the right time. Let praise quiet my mind and settle my soul as I sleep. May my life tell the next generation that You are good, trustworthy, and faithful forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Want More? Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture. UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Evening Scripture Matthew, Chapter 6 Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Evening Reflection This is one of those chapters in the Bible that stops me in my tracks. Currently, I am walking through a season where hope feels extremely fragile and each day I am left questioning, “What if?” I have zero control of the outcome and if I am completely honest, fear, anxiety, and worry pulse through my body. This is not the way of peace and not the way Jesus intends for his believers to live. What parts of your life are you worried about? Is food or body image a god in your life? Do clothes (or a new home, new car, or new trend) have a grip on your attention? We want assurance. We want to know our needs will be met and our hopes fulfilled. Matthew 6:26 declares, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Isn’t it true? A bird chirps, gathers, flies, builds, and yet, doesn’t wonder if their needs will be met. Sometimes worry feels like we are doing something in a situation where we feel helpless. Doesn’t choosing joy feel better to carry than worry and fear? I’m preaching to myself, friends. So how do we choose joy and peace in our lives tonight? First, we obey Jesus. We pray and posture our hearts to Him and declare, “God, I want what is best for you. I trust you with my life and the things I am carrying and believe you will work all things together for the good of those who love you.” Second, we lean into verse 34. Jesus acknowledges today has trouble. Can we surrender the day to Him? What you are carrying is hard but you aren’t asked to carry it alone. Let’s pray, “Father, you are good and you know the stress, tension, and worries of my heart. You care. Walk with me and lighten the load. I surrender to you tonight.” Finally, we remember there is a real enemy of our souls who wants to kill, steal, and destroy our peace (John 10:10). Not tonight, devil! Christ came to give abundant life! We must remember to be on guard of the enemy’s tactics and realize the spiritual warfare we are facing each day. Remember, your Father in heaven loves you dearly and wants you to experience true freedom and peace. He will absolutely provide what you need, when you need it. You will be taken care of and His good plans for your life will prevail. Breathe easy tonight, for He is in control! Evening Prayer Father, The fear, the worry, and the anxiety are frying my nervous system. This isn’t how you want me to live. You want me to walk in freedom, peace, and abundant life. That is hard to do when I feel so intertwined in anxiety. I pray you would break the bondage of fear that my heart, mind, and body have silently agreed to. I pray for healing in my heart and I surrender the outcome to you. I invite your Holy Spirit to work this part of my story for your good and seek your Kingdom and your will in my life. I am a living sacrifice and all I have, all I love, and all that I desire to do belongs to you and your Lordship in my life. Be near and walk with me. When fear starts to creep in, nudge my heart to release it in the name of Jesus. Amen. Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture. UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Evening Scripture Psalm, Chapter 84 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. Selah Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed. For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor. No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you. Evening Reflection Have you ever found yourself praying for more hours in the day? Despite the increased efficiency of technological advances, it seems like we are busier now than we have ever been. We run from place to place, task to task. If something doesn’t occupy our time this moment, we tend to pre-occupy our time with worries and fears about the future. We live with such a spirit of frenzy and demand that we rarely find time to be at peace. Psalm 84 speaks about the blessings found in simply being in God’s house. The psalmist says that one day in the courts of God is better than a thousand running about elsewhere, and that it is better to be a doorkeeper at the front door of the church, than to live in tents cut off from God’s presence. The reason the psalmist makes this claim is not because of what they do at the temple, but rather who they receive. See, standing in the temple – the dwelling place of the Lord – there are no demands or tasks; there are no assignments to complete or grades to strive for. There are no projects to toil under. Standing in the dwelling place of the Lord demands one thing: to receive the love of the God who draws us close. Is there anything more peaceful, more restorative, more lovely than that? As you enter rest this night, reflect on your longing for God’s presence. Put aside any obligations of the day, or worries for tomorrow, and simply communicate your longing for God. Because your longing for God is matched by God’s longing for you. Evening Prayer Precious Lord, I call to you. O God, come to me quickly. My life can be so busy with a multitude of things. I run to and from, this way and that, trying to manage my life as best I can. But deep within I know that abundant life is never found in the things that I create or do. Life, true life, is found in your presence. I long for the life of grace and truth that comes from your presence. Father, I lay myself before you, and I listen to your word that tells me that you desire for your dwelling place to be in my life. So come to me, O Lord my God. Captivate me by your love; restore me in your healing hands, empower me with your spirit. May this night be a time where your heart speaks to mine, and may tomorrow be a day where, despite the tasks and demands of life, I live with a holy longing. I pray all of this in the name of God-with-us; Jesus my Lord. Amen. Want More? Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture. UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Evening Scripture Hebrews, Chapter 3 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’” See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. As has just been said: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.” Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. Evening Reflection If anyone had a reason to give up, it was Athanasius. He had been exiled multiple times and slandered by many. Others urged him to give into the theology of the Arians, but he refused. The matter in question – the divinity of Christ – was too important for him to cave to, even though it would have been easier for him to do so. Standing firm on the truth of Scripture, Athanasius continued in a faithful defense of Jesus’ identity as God despite intense struggle and persecution. He advocated for the truth presented at the council of Nicaea, expressed in The Nicene Creed: “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.” The things most worth doing are often the most difficult. In the Bible, that is one of the reasons the Israelites did not enter the Promised Land as instructed – it appeared too challenging. The report of the spies (except Joshua and Caleb) discouraged Israel because they focused only on the size of the enemies and the threat of going to battle against them (Numbers 13:31-33). So, they took the easier route: they gave up. In doing so, they not only faced forty years of wandering in the wilderness, they also lost their chance of entering the promise of God because of unfaithfulness (Numbers 14:26-35). Long-term faithfulness may seem like the harder route with the struggles that are sure to come, leaving us discouraged and weary. Yet, giving up and caving into sin is the cowardly option. It offers nothing of value, only a fleeting, selfish relief of not having to endure suffering for the sake of obedience. Thankfully, we do not have to attempt to tread the path of obedience alone or in our own strength. Jesus, our great High Priest, has gone before us as One fully faithful to the Father. To remain steadfast, Scripture encourages us to “fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest” (Hebrews 3:1). With Him, nothing is impossible, for He gives us the courage to keep going, even when it would be easier to give up. Evening Prayer Lord, Set my eyes on you so that I focus on the goal and purpose of life: to know You and to love You with all my heart, soul, and strength. The more I focus on You, the less I will obsess over the obstacles that stand in the way of obedience. The temptation is strong, O Savior, to give up, for it would be easy to do so. No one would notice if I did, none but You. Give me the strength to keep going, because I cannot do this alone. Enable me to stand firm in the promises of Your Word, mediating on the faithfulness that You have shown throughout time. Truly, You remain faithful even when I am faithless (2 Timothy 2:13). In Your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen. Want More? Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. Click to Listen to Signs of Life: UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Join us this Fall for Season One of "Signs of Life," an original podcast from UM News. The journey begins in Atlanta, hearing how a book from an icon of the Civil Rights movement is bringing relationship and understanding to two congregations seeking to bridge divides. Then to Belfast, learning about the Northern Ireland Peace Process and the Methodist connection that was—and is—an essential part of healing and peacemaking. Finally, at the Global Young Peoples Convocation in Dublin, explore the world of translation and interpretation through diversity, language and culture. UM News Podcast Season One | UMNews.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.